1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of tethers, harnesses, and other restraint systems used in vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of different types of restraint systems have been devised for securing passengers, cargo and seats within a vehicle. For example, the commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,010 discloses a tether securing a seat frame to a vehicle floor, a three point belt system entirely mounted to the seat frame restraining the seat occupant, and a retractor belt combination extending between the vehicle floor and the top of the seat isolating the seat back from passenger force exerted against the seat belt.
In order to limit suspension seat movement during a crash, it has been the practice to tether the seat to the floor; however, a fixed tether limits the horizontal adjustability of the seat. In the commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,207, an automatic locking tether for the vehicle seat is disclosed wherein the seat may be horizontally adjusted to the specific requirement of the occupant. Passenger loading during a crash results in the automatic locking of the tether.
Seats provided within large vehicles, such as, trucks typically are suspendedly mounted atop the vehicle floor. For example, a cushioned air bag may be positioned between the bottom of the seat and floor thereby providing a cushioned ride. Such seats are typically positioned a substantial distance from the vehicle floor. It is therefore desirable to provide a restraint system, such as disclosed in the commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,094 and U.S. RE Pat. No. 37,123 E that will move the seat and occupant toward the floor during a crash thereby providing a more compact seat occupant envelope. It is desirable to provide flexibility in locating such a system for moving the seat and occupant toward the floor to allow use with various seating arrangements. Disclosed here is a system allowing various mounting arrangements.
One embodiment of the present invention is a seat restraint system mountable to a vehicle comprising a seat and a suspension which is connected to the seat and for mounting to a vehicle floor operable to allow the seat to move to and from the vehicle floor. A belt is mounted to the seat to restrain an occupant on the seat. The belt has a first end portion and a second end portion with a first locking portion mounted therebetween and to the belt. The belt further includes a second locking device lockingly engageable and mateable with the first locking device. A seat retractor has a flexible portion connected to the seat and moves the seat toward the vehicle floor upon crash.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a compact restraint system for a vehicle seat and occupant.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a restraint system for moving a vehicle suspension seat towards the vehicle floor during a crash with the system allowing use with various seating arrangements.
An additional object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a restraint system operable upon crash of the vehicle to both tighten the seat belt and move the seat with occupant towards the vehicle floor.
Related objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.